Fusee



Men. 29, W42. A. R. HOLMES FUSEE Filed June 29, 1939 J m w a w PatentedDec. 29, 1942 rrso 6 Claims.

This invention is concerned with fusees of the type used in givingwarning signals. It is more particularly directed to fusees used bytrucks which have stopped on the highway. Under regulations in numerousjurisdictions, such trucks are required immediately to set out a fuseeas a Warning signal.

It is desirable, for the satisfactory functioning of the device, thatthe fusee when burning be tilted at an angle of approximately 45, andsome means must be provided to hold it thus semierect.

This has usually been accomplished by a spike fixed in the base of thefusee, but as, when the fusee is burned out, such a. spike may remain asa possible trafiic hazard, and as the majority of highways used bytrucks are of concrete construction, some substitute for the spike isnecessary. Some jurisdictions, indeed, have regulations precluding theuse of a spiked fusee.

One of the objects of my invention lies in improved means for cappingthe fusee. As an article of commerce the fusee ordinarily comprises acardboard tube, filled with pyrotechnic material, having a base portion,usually of Wood, and a cap for the other end of the tube with means onits top for igniting the fusee through friction. As the striking mediumis exposed, means must be provided to protect it from damp and abrasion.This is usually accomplished by covering the striking end of the capwith a, paper protector under which a cambric tape is positioned. Thetape is pullable to remove the paper and expose the strikeable end ofthe cap,

so that it may be removed and rubbed against the combustible material inthe fusee. The described arrangement is expensive to manufacture, and inmy invention I have provided simple means to hold the cap in place andprotect its Fig. 3 is a sectional View along the line 3--3 of Fig. 1.

Referring to Fig. 3 of the drawing, l6 comprises the pyrotechnic fillerof the fusee and H is the tubular container therefor. At one end of thetubular container is a cap l2, the end thereof being impregnated withigniting material to be rubbed across the top layer of pyrotechnicmaterial in the open end of the fusee when the cap is removed. Over theend of the cap is a small drawn metal cup l3, provided with a pair ofnotches l4, l5, particularly observable in Fig. 1.

The base of my fusee is a wooden plug l6, having a hole ll drilledpartially into the outer end thereof. My support l8 comprises a wiremember, the two ends !|9 of which are centered in the hole H, the loop20 thereof being bent around the end of the cup l3 and being held inposition by the notches l l, l5 thereof. The support H3 is of such alength that when drawn up in assembly, as hereinafter described, it willhold the cap l2 and cup l3 tightly in position through engagement of thesupport I8 with the notches l4, l5.

To use the fusee, a little manual pressure should be applied to removethe loop end 20 of the support H! from the notches l4, l5 of the cup I3,and the support I8 is then bent away from the fusee to the desired angleas shown in Fig. 2. The operator then grasps the support in either handabout half way between its ends and pulls outwardly, the support takingthe lozenge shape shown in Fig. 2. It will thus be seen that I provide asubstantial supporting base or framework capable of maintaining thefusee in the desired position and at the desired angle against anyordinary disturbance, as wind.

At 2! and 22, Fig. 1, are a pair of elbows in the support. These areformed in drawing the loop strikeable end. These means form a part ofthe :40] 0f the support tightly over the cap in assembly.

support when the fusee is in use.

Another object of my invention is to provide cheap and easily attachedand adjustable means for supporting the fusee at the desired angle whenit is in use.

Other and further objects of my invention will be more particularlydescribed and disclosed in the appended drawing and the specificationand annexed claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my fusee with the cap in place, prior toits being made ready for use.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of my iusee ready for use.

and they also provide means for adjusting the support l8 to anyvariations in the ground so that the fusee can be set properly to retainan erect position.

While I have shown and described a construction which admirably fulfillsthe objects of my invention primarily enumerated, it is to be understoodthat the above description is given by Way of illustration and not oflimitation, and numerous changes in details of construction andarrangement may be effected without departing from the spirit of theinvention, especially as defined in the appended claims.

Having fully described my invention, I claim: 1. A spikeless fusee,comprising a tubular container, a plug permanently ailixed to one endthereof, pyrotechnic material Within said container. a removable cap atthe other end thereof, and supporting and retaining mean afiixed to saidplug and tautly encircling said cap when said fusee is not in use, saidsupporting and retaining means being manually bendable away from saidcap and outwardly to increase its shortest dimension into a framesupport for said fusee.

2. An article of manufacture comprising a tubular container having apermanent base and removable cap, a retaining means for said capcomprising a loop of wire or the like encircling said cap and aifixed tosaid base, and constructed so as to form a supporting framework whenremoved by manual pressure from its retaining position by bending thesame away from the axis of said container and outwardly to increase theshortest dimension of said retaining means.

3. A spikeless fusee comprising a cylindrical container, at loop-shapedstructure of wire or the like, one end of said loop being affixed to onebase of said container, the other end of said loop encircling theopposite base of said container and being held thereagainst by pressureresulting from the formation of offset portions therein to shorten theefiective length of said loop after it has been placed in positionaround said container in assembly, said loop being manually removablefrom said opposite base and being constructed to permit expansionthereof into a framework for supporting said cylindrical container in asemi-upright position.

4. A spikeless fusee comprising a tubular container, a plug for one endthereof, a striking medium at the other end thereof, a removableprotective cap for said striking medium, and a wire loop having its endsanchored in said plug, the

major portion of said loop being of a configuration to form a coplanarstable support for said container, said wire loop being constructed of areadily deformable material formed originally in a position wherein itengages the side walls of said container and said cap to hold the latterin place, and from which original position it may be manually bent intoits desired supporting configuration.

5. A spikeless fusee comprising a cylindrical container, a notched metalprotecting cap for the striking end thereof, and a wire loop affixed tothe base thereof, the major portion of said loop being offset from thatportion adjacent to said base to form a coplanar support for said fusee,the plane of which support will not intersect said container, said wireloop being originally in a position wherein it engages the notchedportions of said metal protecting cap to hold the latter in place, andfrom which original position it may be manually bent into its desiredsupporting configuration.

6. A spikeless fusee comprising a tubular member, a protective cap forthe striking end thereof, a centrally apertured plug for the basethereof, and a support comprising a wire loop normally disposed adjacentsaid tubular member and having its ends extending into said aperturedplug, those portions of said loop adjacent the under surface of saidplug being disposed to permit of torsional deformation thereof when saidloop is angularly displaced from a position wherein it engages saidprotecting cap and holds the same securely against said tubular member,into a position wherein it serves as a framework to support said tubularmember in a semiupright position on a horizontal surface.

ALLAN R. HOLMES.

